Dan's Deckshop: Kamigawa Strikes Back

[Daze84]

Hi Dan, I used pretty much the entire deck you designed and it played wonderfully, though there was a game that the "don't paint a crosshair on your forehead" didn't apply.

Game #1
It happened in a really (and I mean REALLY) passive game. I think at turn 8 the only attacks being made were merry go rounds with shadows and some flying, and some small creatures on the board. In the mean time, I wasn't receiving any plain mana and wasn't hitting terramorphic expanses, so the Windborn Muse was not receiving any wind at any time, so I was receiving some damage every 4th turn or so.
I did manage to get a Garami on the board, but here's the thing, it was the biggest threat immediately on the board, due to inexperience or just plain bad luck, and focus shifted to me. I wasn't receiving Hana Kamis so the rend flesh wasn't helping that much. After a while I got a lot of spirit creatures in the graveyard with Iname. But by then it was too late, 2 turns later I was the first one out.
Surprisingly, the deck didn't work when you don't have your primary Hana kami/Death denied engine, while I did get a lot of creatures in the graveyard. I think it was a perfect storm for this deck....BUT...then I used it again!

Game #2
This time action went around fairly quick. I got a Carven Caryatid for a solid starting defence, and got a Windborn Muse to keep those fliers at bay as well. Shadows were punished swiftly with a single Rend Flesh card, that kept popping up using two Hana Kamis. I didn't find the Iname this game, but the beauty part of it was that I didn't need it! I got far along in the game just reviving my defensive cards and didn't take any damage, I was still at 19! in round 10. Then I hit the Oyobi and allready had Keiga in my hand. I was able to play Keiga first, generating a wtf around the table. When Oyobi came on the next turn they didn't knew what hit them. Keiga dealt some damage the first turn, but was destroyed with a Disintegrate and was removed from the game! But Oyobi kept hammering out 3/3 Flying spirits and not before long everybody was pounded away.

Question!
So that was nice! But here's a question: How to cope with that disintegrate, is it really so simple to derail a graveyard engine with "remove from the game" when dealt lethal damage?

Thanks so much for sharing your deckbuilding skills, I learnt more in the last two articles then in the two months I started playing this game. What I'd like to see in the future is a solid multiplayer deck that does put a target on you, but you're able to use that to an advantage.

[Mr. Sinister]

Great article! I'm going to build this deck very soon. How about a single copy of Kagemaro, First to Suffer for repeated "Mutilates"?

I second the suggestion to build a River Kelpie deck. I love the card, but I can't get it to work.:/

[Mr Zetetic]

Originally Posted by NoMoshing

Personally, I'm interested in possible interactions between living weapons and the new cards with the morbid rule from Innistrad. Maybe using dying Germ tokens to power a Skirsdag High Priest?

Ohhh dirty idea that... Hey what about Eldrazi spawn as a morbid source also????

Originally Posted by SargentToughie

Awesome read this week. Like the first commenter said, I'd also love to see you build that Seshiro deck sometime.

I also requested this last week, but I figured I'd suggest it again to see if anybody else is interested in something similar. I'd love to see a deck using cards like Luminarch Ascension and Sigil of the Empty Throne to pump out an army of 4/4 flying angels.

Here is a link to a deck I put together using these two cards

Originally Posted by Daze84

Question!
So that was nice! But here's a question: How to cope with that disintegrate, is it really so simple to derail a graveyard engine with "remove from the game" when dealt lethal damage?

Riftsweeper or Pull from Eternity both work. They are not spirit or arcane but do the job.

Posts merged. If you wish to respond to multiple posts, please use the multi-quote button next to the quote button.

- RMS Oceanic

[Mr. Sinister]

When is the next article? I'm really looking forward to it. Also, couldn't you apply for Jacob van Lunen's position as writer of the Building on a Budget column on magicthegathering.com? You are sooo much more creative than him and you actually know what budget means...

[unquashable]

Building this deck without a Kagemaro or two is the greastest oversight I've seen in a while. Kagemaro and Seizan are the best reason to build a multiple-player spirit themed deck in the first place.

[misteil]

I added a singleton Karador, Ghost Chieftain. I don't know how it'll work out yet since I've never drawn it, but it looks beast.

[Mr. Sinister]

Why did the articles stop? They were great reading and very inspiring.

[TheEndIsNear]

Originally Posted by Mr. Sinister

Why did the articles stop? They were great reading and very inspiring.

I agree, they were a great read. He announced a third a while ago but it didn't get posted.

Btw, you should post more of the decks in your sig, I'm interested in a few.

[Xanthprime]

Hey Dan,

Love the deck designs and your writing style. Please give us more.

Love,
Me

[Stairc]

*laughs* Sorry, you're right. I even had a third one 95% done for several weeks but the images in it kept getting deleted and I couldn't get a moderator to explain why or fix it (still haven't gotten an answer nearly 3 months later!). That, combined with 16 credits this term, plus a job, plus designing a game kind of stalled my motivation and refocused it. You wouldn't believe how busy I've been. Love it all, but... Busy.

But yes, I really should write more. I have 2 articles all mapped out, though sadly one's nowhere near as timely as it used to be (was electrified by the innistrad pre-release). I haven't even checked MTGS till right now, when I saw your message.

When my life calms down, I'll definitely jump back into writing. But right now, any free time I have goes into designing my team's game and/or writing the script for it.

I'm really glad you enjoyed my articles so much though. That means a lot. Out of curiosity, what kind of articles would you like to see if my life ever calms down enough to get back on the dragon?

Best,

Stairc
________

[Killy_Mcgee]

ALL OF THE ARTICLES STAIRC. ALL OF THE ARTICLES.

[TheEndIsNear]

Being a johnny I love the decks with more synergies than you can shake a stick at. Complicated and synergistic are a favorite of mine.

[Zenith King]

Great Article! Hope your life settles down soon. If it does I always like to see the budget/junk rare decks.

[botmes]

i just read all four of you posts and have come to the conclusion that you are akin to a historical scholar who, at the drop of a hat, can denote any historical event that relates to absolutely topic you may be speaking of, no matter how loosely relevant, and make a powerful statement with said knowledge. i laud your understanding of the nuances of magic cards, and your ability to find exactly the ones you are looking for for any particular circumstance and strategy and make them work spectacularly. i hope to see more from you in the future.

now enough ass-kissing (excuse my french).

i have recently built an artifact/control deck built around the "modular" ability, which i am sure you are familiar with. i was thinking to myself in the moment in the aether when one is slowly drawing out of a long, restful sleep, and remembered having seen a bunch of arcbound warriors as i was snooping through some card lists online, in my attempt to seek a moment of clarity when all the cards would leap out at me and suddenly make sense. at first i thought "oh, wow, how quaint, a 1/1 creature who's counters moves onto another creature when it dies. how useful is that?" then, in my moment in the aether, it struck me. proliferate you fool! modulararity is a detterence to destruction, and proliferate makes all those cute 2cmc arcbound weenies turn into mighty metal beasts of hardened steel! it all makes sense now!

so i built the deck, and was pleased when it beat out a mill deck and an aggro/vampire-tribal deck in multiplayer with a 13/13 arcbound stinger. but i know i can do alot more with it. i figured accumulating +1/+1 counters and dumping them on indestructible creatures like darksteel myr and etched champion could do a lot to make the deck last a long time and function as a viable strategy (and don't forget darksteel sentinel. as simple as it is, that has got to be the funnest card i have ever played with. casting it before declaring blockers makes me giggle every time), but my only control is in the form of counters and cards like claustrophobia and turn to frog. i like the synergy i have made between the instants, the modulars, the indestructibles, and the builders (like inexorable tide and steel overseer) but i know the deck is a shell of its true potential.

do you have any ideas? what, in your infinite wisdom, can you share that could help me find the clarity in the clutter of my modular tools? or would you be so audacious as to build a modular deck of your own?

sincerely,

botmes
aka: jmsena

here is a deck list for my "modular tools" if you're interested: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/modular-tools/

[Stairc]

Originally Posted by botmes

i just read all four of you posts and have come to the conclusion that you are akin to a historical scholar who, at the drop of a hat, can denote any historical event that relates to absolutely topic you may be speaking of, no matter how loosely relevant, and make a powerful statement with said knowledge. i laud your understanding of the nuances of magic cards, and your ability to find exactly the ones you are looking for for any particular circumstance and strategy and make them work spectacularly. i hope to see more from you in the future.

now enough ass-kissing (excuse my french).

i have recently built an artifact/control deck built around the "modular" ability, which i am sure you are familiar with. i was thinking to myself in the moment in the aether when one is slowly drawing out of a long, restful sleep, and remembered having seen a bunch of arcbound warriors as i was snooping through some card lists online, in my attempt to seek a moment of clarity when all the cards would leap out at me and suddenly make sense. at first i thought "oh, wow, how quaint, a 1/1 creature who's counters moves onto another creature when it dies. how useful is that?" then, in my moment in the aether, it struck me. proliferate you fool! modulararity is a detterence to destruction, and proliferate makes all those cute 2cmc arcbound weenies turn into mighty metal beasts of hardened steel! it all makes sense now!

so i built the deck, and was pleased when it beat out a mill deck and an aggro/vampire-tribal deck in multiplayer with a 13/13 arcbound stinger. but i know i can do alot more with it. i figured accumulating +1/+1 counters and dumping them on indestructible creatures like darksteel myr and etched champion could do a lot to make the deck last a long time and function as a viable strategy (and don't forget darksteel sentinel. as simple as it is, that has got to be the funnest card i have ever played with. casting it before declaring blockers makes me giggle every time), but my only control is in the form of counters and cards like claustrophobia and turn to frog. i like the synergy i have made between the instants, the modulars, the indestructibles, and the builders (like inexorable tide and steel overseer) but i know the deck is a shell of its true potential.

do you have any ideas? what, in your infinite wisdom, can you share that could help me find the clarity in the clutter of my modular tools? or would you be so audacious as to build a modular deck of your own?

sincerely,

botmes
aka: jmsena

here is a deck list for my "modular tools" if you're interested: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/modular-tools/

Glad you like my work.

When life does settle down, I might well take a look at modular. It's great for a casual deck, moving out giant piles of counters is fun, and it's a mechanic just built for recyclability. Plus, we do have a lot of new tools to have fun with it since Darksteel originally came out. Proliferate is definitely worth mentioning, as are effects like Ajani Goldmane and Thopter Foundry.

There's a lot you can do with it. Modular is definitely a fun mechanic to play around with. The only issue is that most modular creatures are tragically overcosted, so you only gain power in a long game... But that's just fine for multiplayer, where seeming weakness is an advantage.

By the way: Spincrusher is absolutely hilarious to play with in modular. It's not the best option by any means, but it's a heckuva fun one. It looks so innocent, but attacking with a 13/15 unblockable is a very fun way to spend your time.